ONSTAGE AT BFI SOUTHBANK THIS MONTH DIRECTOR PEDRO ALMODÓVAR (PAIN AND GLORY), DIRECTOR SHOLA AMOO (THE LAST TREE), SCREENWRITER ANDREW DAVIES (SANDITON, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE), DIRECTOR MARK JENKIN (BAIT), COMEDIAN BRETT GOLDSTEIN, CAST AND CREW OF THE DARK CRYSTAL: AGE OF RESISTANCE, DIRECTOR ISAAC JULIEN (YOUNG SOUL REBELS), WRITER RUSSELL T DAVIES AND ACTORS CRAIG KELLY AND DENISE BLACK (QUEER AS FOLK), WRITER AMY JENKINS AND EXEC PRODUCER TONY GARNETT (THIS LIFE), TV PRESENTERS TERRY CHRISTIAN AND KATIE PUCKRIK (THE WORD), CINEMATOGRAPHER JOEL HONEYWELL, FILMMAKER IMRUH BAKARI, CREATIVE DIRECTOR GRACE LADOJA MBE, DIRECTOR MBITHI MASYA (KATI KATI), PLUS FURTHER FILMMAKERS TO BE ANNOUNCED AS PART OF ‘NO DIRECT FLIGHT’
Film previews and premieres: PAIN AND GLORY (Pedro Almodóvar, 2019), BAIT (Mark Jenkin, 2019), THE LAST TREE (Shola Amoo, 2019), TRANSIT (Christian Petzold, 2018) TV previews: SANDITON (Red Planet Pictures/ITV/MASTERPIECE, 2019), THE DARK CRYSTAL: AGE OF RESISTANCE (Louis Leterrier, 2019) New and Re-Releases: NOTORIOUS (Alfred Hitchcock, 1946), DO THE RIGHT THING (Spike Lee, 1989), VARDA BY AGNÈS (Agnès Varda, 2018), PAIN AND GLORY (Pedro Almodóvar, 2019), HAIL SATAN? (Penny Lane, 2019), BAIT (Mark Jenkin, 2019)
Wednesday 19 June 2019, London. This August BFI Southbank will celebrate the work of one the best-loved British actors of all time – the legendary CARY GRANT. Grant will be the subject of a two month retrospective during August and September that illustrates his phenomenal acting range, from classic screwball comedies like His Girl Friday (Howard Hawks, 1940) and The Philadelphia Story (George Cukor, 1941) to Hitchcock thrillers Suspicion (1941) and Notorious (1946), the latter of which will be re-released in selected cinemas by the BFI on Friday 9 August. NO DIRECT FLIGHT, is a landmark BFI project exploring how the digital world is shaping the visual aesthetics of the African diaspora. The season will pair classic pan-African features such as Touki Bouki (Djibril Diop Mambéty, 1973) and Black Girl (Ousmane Sembène, 1966) with their daring short-form offspring made by some of the most exciting visual artists working today, including Wanuri Kahiu (Rafiki), Cecile Emeke (Ackee & Saltfish) and Khalil Joseph (Beyoncé: Lemonade). NO DIRECT FLIGHT will also include a pioneering Global Meet Up, during which BFI Southbank will, with the help of global partners such as Black Star Festival in the US, virtually connect with speakers from across the African diaspora, from London and Bristol to Nairobi and Philadelphia. Completing the line-up of seasons in August is NINETIES: YOUNG CINEMA REBELS, the conclusion of a two month exploration of explosive, transformative and challenging cinema and TV made from 1989-1999. Part two of the season will feature Q&As and introductions from special guests including Isaac Julien (Young Soul Rebels), Russell T Davies (Queer as Folk) and Amy Jenkins (This Life).
Film previews in August will include Pedro Almodóvar’s new film Pain and Glory (2019), starring frequent collaborator Antonio Banderas as a filmmaker confronting age-related anxieties, in one of the director’s most personal works. Almodóvar will take part in a Q&A following a preview on Friday 9 August, with Pain and Glory then opening on extended run from Friday 23 August. Other film previews will include The Last Tree (2019) with director Shola Amoo on stage on Friday 2 August, Christian Petzold’s Transit (2018), and Mark Jenkin’s Bait (2019), which will be released in cinemas across the UK by the BFI on Friday 30 August.
There will be two high-profile TV previews in August; firstly, on Tuesday 27 August, Sanditon (Red Planet Pictures/ITV/MASTERPIECE, 2019), the new ITV adaptation of Jane Austen’s unfinished novel. Adapted for television by Andrew Davies, the screenwriter of numerous Austen adaptations including Pride and Prejudice (BBC, 1995) Northanger Abbey (ITV, 2007) and Emma (ITV, 1996), the preview of Sanditon will be followed by a Q&A with Davies, executive producer Belinda Campbell and members of the cast (to be announced). Also being previewed will be The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (Louis Leterrier, 2019), Netflix’s hotly-anticipated return to the world of Jim Henson’s beloved 1982 movie. As well as a special preview of the series on Thursday 22 August (followed by a Q&A), there will also be a free exhibition in the Mezzanine Gallery of BFI Southbank. The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Exhibition will be an immersive exhibit showcasing puppets and props among the stunning sets from the series and will run from Thursday 22 August – Sunday 8 September.
Completing the line-up of events for August will be BFI Southbank’s annual Programme Launch for the BFI London Film Festival, exclusively for BFI Members on Thursday 29 August, and the inaugural SOUL Fest, a two-day celebration of black British talent in film running from Friday 30 – Saturday 31 August, showcasing new features and shorts and allowing audiences the opportunity to see a diverse representation of black Britain.
CARY GRANT: BRITAIN’S GREATEST EXPORT EVERY TUE FROM 6 AUG-24 SEP 18:30-20:30 – COURSE: Cary Grant: Hollywood’s Leading Man – an eight week evening course exploring the background, career, talent and legacy of one of Hollywood’s greatest leading men WED 7 AUG, 18:20 – TALK: Cary Grant: From Knockabout to Knockout
Running from 1 August – 30 September, CARY GRANT: BRITAIN’S GREATEST EXPORT will be a two month season celebrating the work one of the legendary Cary Grant, one of the most beloved actors of all time, who despite sporting a memorably irresistible mid-Atlantic accent, and starring in some of the most iconic Hollywood films of all time, was a Bristol-born Brit who learned his craft in the world of variety shows. Part one of this two month season will feature early work such as Blonde Venus (Josef von Sternberg, 1932) opposite Marlene Dietrich, screwball favourites like The Awful Truth (Leo McCarey, 1937) and His Girl Friday (Howard Hawks, 1940) and collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock such as Suspicion (1941) and Notorious (1946), the latter of which will be re-released in selected cinemas by the BFI on Friday 9 August.
The season will feature an illustrated talk Cary Grant: From Knockabout to Knockout on Wednesday 7 August from Dr Charlotte Crofts, academic and director of the Cary Comes Home festival, who will discuss how Bristol-born Archie Leach, son of a tailor’s presser, reinvented himself as a global film star and style icon. For audiences wishing to delve even deeper into Grant’s back-catalogue, there is Cary Grant: Hollywood’s Leading Man, an eight-week evening course, led by John Wischmeyer, exploring the background, career, talent and legacy of one of Hollywood’s greatest leading men. This season will demonstrate that Cary Grant was more than just a star, he was a true acting giant capable of delivering both dark and light performances with depth, humour and charm, and he remains Britain’s greatest export.
Full details of the two month season will be announced in a dedicated press release soon.
NO DIRECT FLIGHT FRI 2 AUG, 20:50 – SCREENING + INTRO: Touki Bouki (Djibril Diop Mambéty, 1973) / Onstage: intro by curator Tendai John Mutambu SAT 3 AUG, 13:00 – 18:00 – SPECIAL EVENT: No Direct Flight Global Meet-up SAT 3 AUG, 18:30 – SCREENING + DISCUSSION: Mothership Connection: Shorts Programme / Onstage: discussion with filmmakers SAT 3 AUG, ALL DAY – SPECIAL EVENT: The (Un)real World – an opportunity to view artworks that highlight future innovation in VR MON 5 AUG, 18:20 – SCREENING + DISCUSSION: Swimming in Your Skin Again: Shorts Programme / Onstage: discussion with filmmakers MON 5 AUG, 20:30 – SCREENING + INTRO: Restless City (Andrew Dosunmu, 2011) / Onstage: intro by cinematographer Joel Honeywell TUE 6 AUG, 18:20 – SCREENING + INTRO: Black Girl La noire de... (Ousmane Sembène, 1966) / Onstage: intro by June Givanni, curator June Givanni Pan African Cinema Archive WED 7 AUG, SCREENING + DISCUSSION: Homegoing: Shorts Programme / Onstage: discussion with filmmakers THU 8 AUG, 18:00 – SCREENING + INTRO: Sankofa (Haile Gerima, 1993) / Onstage: intro by lecturer and filmmaker Imruh BakariFRI 9 AUG, 20:30 – SCREENING + DISCUSSION: Timecircles: Shorts Programme / Onstage: discussion with filmmakers SAT 10 AUG, 18:20 – SCREENING + INTRO: Belly (Hype Williams, 1998) / Onstage: intro by Creative Director Grace Ladoja MBE SAT 10 AUG, 20:45 – SCREENING + DISCUSSION: Sonic: Shorts Programme / Onstage: discussion with filmmakers SAT 10 AUG, 22:00-01:00, BFI BAR & KITCHEN – No Direct Flight Sonic Party SUN 11 AUG, 15:20 – SCREENING + Q&A: Kati Kati (Mbithi Masya, 2016) / Onstage: Q&A with director Mbithi Masya (also each the shorts programmes have filmmaker discussions attached too – important to mention as this looks like just classic features showing in the season) SUN 11 AUG, 17:45 – SCREENING + DISCUSSION: Future Spirits: Shorts Programme / Onstage: discussion with filmmakers THU 15 AUG, 20:40 – SCREENING: Black Girl La noire de... (Ousmane Sembène, 1966) SAT 17 AUG, 18:10 – SCREENING: Touki Bouki (Djibril Diop Mambéty, 1973)
During August BFI Southbank will present a landmark cross-platform project exploring how the digital world is shaping the visual aesthetics of the African diaspora. NO DIRECT FLIGHT, which is presented in partnership with the British Council, Nowness and Black Star Festival, will seek to explore the themes and visual motifs that have been virally traded between Africa, the US and Europe, giving rise to a bold, black, globally influential aesthetic. NO DIRECT FLIGHT will pair classic pan-African features such as Touki Bouki (Djibril Diop Mambéty, 1973), Black Girl (Ousmane Sembène, 1966) and Sankofa (Haile Gerima, 1993) with their daring short-form offspring from some of the most exciting visual artists working today, including Wanuri Kahiu, Cecile Emeke, Khalil Joseph, Jenn Nkiru, Bradford Young and Terence Nance. Features will be introduced by expert curators and filmmakers, while six thematic shorts programmes will be accompanied by a discussion with a selection of the artists whose work is being showcased in the season – full details of the shorts programme and the names of the directors attending will be announced soon.
The season, which is curated by BFI Southbank’s Head of Cinemas and Events Gaylene Gould, and co-programmed by Tega Okiti, will launch with a weekend of events, starting with a screening of Touki Bouki (Djibril Diop Mambéty, 1973) introduced by curator Tendai John Mutambu on Friday 2 August. Djibril Diop Mambéty’s fantasy-drama follows young lovers Mory and Anta, who hatch wildly adventurous and indulgent schemes to facilitate their escape from post-colonial Dakar to glamorous Paris. This daring film is widely regarded as a philosophical and aesthetic wellspring for global African visual culture, from screen to stage to fashion editorial. On Saturday 3 August there will be a pioneering Global Meet Up, during which BFI Southbank will, with the help of global partners such as Black Star Festival in the US, virtually connect with speakers from across the African diaspora, from London and Bristol to Nairobi and Philadelphia. The afternoon will also include a screening of John Akomfrah’s afro-fiction doc The Last Angel of History (1996), which heralded the dawning of the new digital age, as well as investigate how the internet has allowed new languages to develop across this global filmmaking community.
Other special events during the season will include the No Direct Flight Sonic Party in the BFI Bar and Kitchen on Saturday 10 August; this late night party will be a celebration of the next generation of global African rhythms and dance inspired by the contemporary visual music artists like Baloji, Blitz the Ambassador and Tracy Sada. There will also be an opportunity to view artworks that highlight future innovation in VR, establishing a network for creation and new forms of communication. VR experiences in the BFI Southbank foyer on Saturday 3 August will include Ng’endo Mukii’s Nairobi Berries (2017), Kenya’s first 360° virtual-reality film incorporating animation and live-action.
The project will tour to Kenya and the United States over the forthcoming year and will also include three new short film commissions by Nowness. A full programme will be announced soon in a dedicated press release.
In partnership with:
A cross-platform project in partnership with the British Council, Nowness, Black Star Festival and Pervasive Media Studio
NINETIES: YOUNG CINEMA REBELS THU 1 AUG, 18:15 – SCREENING + Q&A: This Life (BBC, 1996/1997) / Onstage: Q&A with creator and writer Amy Jenkins and exec producer Tony Garnett THU 1 AUG, 19:30 – SPECIAL EVENT: 90s Teen Film Quiz hosted by Forever Young Film Club MON 5 AUG, 18:10 – TALK: New Queer Cinema THU 8 AUG, 18:15 – SCREENING + Q&A: Queer as Folk (Red Production Company/Ch4, 1999) / Onstage: Q&A with Russell T Davies and actors Craig Kelly and Denise Black TUE 13 AUG, 18:15 – SPECIAL EVENT: The Word / Onstage: Q&A with presenters Terry Christian and Katie Puckrik WED 14 AUG, 20:30 – SCREENING + Q&A: Young Soul Rebels (Isaac Julien, 1991) / Onstage: Q&A with director Isaac Julien
Throughout July and August BFI Southbank will host a two month exploration of explosive, transformative and challenging cinema and TV made from 1989-1999 – the 1990s broke all the rules and kick-started the careers of some of the most celebrated filmmakers working today, from Quentin Tarantino and Richard Linklater to Gurinder Chadha and Takeshi Kitano. NINETIES: YOUNG CINEMA REBELS will explore work that dared to be different, bold and exciting filmmaking that had a profound effect on pop culture and everyday life. The influence of these titles can still be felt today – from the explosive energy of Do the Right Thing (Spike Lee, 1989) through to the transformative style of The Blair Witch Project (1999) and The Matrix (The Wachowskis, 1999). Special events during part two of the season in August will include a 90s film quiz, and Q&As with Isaac Julien (Young Soul Rebels), Russell T Davies (Queer as Folk) and Amy Jenkins (This Life).
A full press release is available on the BFI website here.
Media partner:
EVENTS, PREVIEWS AND REGULAR STRANDS FRI 2 AUG, 18:10 – FILM PREVIEW + Q&A: The Last Tree (Shola Amoo, 2019) / Onstage: Q&A with director Shola Amoo SUN 4 AUG, 12:30 – FAMILIES: Playmobil: The Movie (Lino DiSalvo, 2019) – preceded by a free family workshop from 11:00 in the foyer for ticket holders MONDAYS FROM 5 – 26 AUG, 13:00-17:00 – FAMILIES: Stop-Motion Mondays – a workshop exploring stop- motion animation techniques for 8 to 12-year-olds TUE 6 AUG, 20:20 – MEMBER EXCLUSIVE: Member Salon: Do The Right Thing FRI 9 AUG, 18:10 – FILM PREVIEW: Pain and Glory (Pedro Almodóvar, 2019) / Onstage: Q&A with director Pedro Almodóvar SAT 10 AUG, 14:00-17:30 – AFRICAN ODYSSEYS: Carnival in the Time of the Sound System TUE 13 AUG, 18:20 – FILM PREVIEW: Transit (Christian Petzold, 2018) THU 15 AUG, 20:45 – SPECIAL EVENT: Films to Be Buried With / Onstage: comedian Brett Goldstein, plus a special guest to be announced SUN 18 AUG, 13:30 – FAMILIES: Silent Cinema Comedy Special MON 19 AUG, 14:00 – SENIORS’ FREE MATINEE: The River (Jean Renoir, 1951) WED 21 AUG, 18:20 – EXPERIMENTA: Experimenta Mixtape #5 THU 22 AUG, TIME TBC: TV PREVIEW: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (Louis Leterrier, 2019) / Onstage: Q&A with cast and crew to be announced THU 22 AUG – SUN 8 SEP, MEZZANINE GALLERY EXHIBITION: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Exhibition – alongside a selection of workshops and screenings, this immersive exhibition showcases puppets and props among the stunning sets from The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance SAT 24 AUG, 12:30 – FUTURE FILM: Future Film Labs: Casting SAT 24 AUG 13:00 / MON 26 AUG 15:00 / TUE 27 AUG 14:00 / WED 28 AUG 14:30 – FAMILIES: The Lion King (Jon Favreau, 2019) TUE 27 – FRI 30 AUG, 10:30-16:30 – FAMILIES: BFI Summer Holiday Film School – BFI’s summer holiday film school including tips on SFX make-up and prop making, how to make a horror animation, the essentials of film lighting and much more. Suitable for 12 to 15-year-olds. TUE 27 AUG, 18:15 – TV PREVIEW + Q&A: Sanditon (Red Planet Pictures/ITV/MASTERPIECE, 2019) / Onstage: Q&A with screenwriter Andrew Davies, exec producer Belinda Campbell and cast to be announced TUE 27 AUG, 18:20 – PROJECTING THE ARCHIVE: It Started in Paradise (Compton Bennett, 1952) / Onstage: intro by BFI curator Josephine Botting WED 28 AUG, 14:00 – RELAXED SCREENING: The Lion King (Jon Favreau, 2019) – relaxed screenings are presented each month for those in the neuro-diverse community and their carers and assistants WED 28 AUG, 18:15 – FILM PREVIEW: Bait (Mark Jenkin, 2019) / Onstage: Q&A with director Mark Jenkin and guests THU 29 AUG, 20:30 – MEMBER EXCLUSIVE: Programme Launch: The 63rd BFI London Film Festival THU 29 AUG, 18:20 – TERRORVISION: Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror (Xavier Burgin, 2019) THU 29 AUG, 20:50 – TERRORVISION: Def by Temptation (James Bond III, 1990) FRI 30 – SAT 31 AUG, VARIOUS TIMES – SOUL FEST: The inaugural SOUL Fest is a two-day celebration of black British talent in film, showcasing new features and shorts and allowing audiences the opportunity to see a diverse representation of black Britain SAT 31 AUG, 18:20 – FILM PREVIEW: The Last Tree (Shola Amoo, 2019)
NEW AND RE-RELEASES CONTINUES FROM FRI 19 JUL: Varda by Agnès (Agnès Varda, 2018) – a BFI release FROM FRI 2 AUG: Do The Right Thing (Spike Lee, 1989) – part of NINETIES: YOUNG CINEMA REBELS FROM FRI 9 AUG: Notorious (Alfred Hitchcock, 1946) – part of CARY GRANT: BRITAIN’S GREATEST EXPORT FROM FRI 23 AUG: Pain and Glory (Pedro Almodóvar, 2019) FROM FRI 23 AUG: Hail Satan? (Penny Lane, 2019) FROM FRI 30 AUG: Bait (Mark Jenkin, 2019) – a BFI release
BIG SCREEN CLASSICS – TURMOIL! Our daily screenings of classic movies in August and September will focus on emotional and psychological turmoil: on people (or animals!) undergoing crises of confusion, fear, grief, crippling uncertainty or turbulent, painful passion. Film, which can range from subtle realism to heady expressionism, was surely made for exploring such extremes. A film from BIG SCREEN CLASSICS – TURMOIL will screen every day for the special price of £8: Eyes Without a Face Les Yeux sans visage (Georges Franju, 1959) Gloria (John Cassavetes, 1980) All About My Mother Todo sobre mi madre (Pedro Almodóvar, 1999) East of Eden (Elia Kazan, 1955) Unrelated (Joanna Hogg, 2007) Mildred Pierce (Michael Curtiz, 1945) Repulsion (Roman Polanski, 1965) Day of Wrath Vredens Dag (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1943) Camille (George Cukor, 1936) L’Age d’or (Luis Buñuel, 1930) White Dog (Samuel Fuller, 1982) Le Jour se lève Daybreak (Marcel Carné, 1939)
FULL EVENT LISTINGS FOR AUGUST ARE AVAILABLE HERE: https://www.bfi.org.uk/sites/bfi.org.uk/files/downloads/bfi-press-release-august-2019-southbank-events-2019-06- 019.pdf
– ENDS –
NOTES TO EDITORS:
Press Contacts:
Liz Parkinson – PR Manager, BFI Cultural Programme [email protected] / 020 7957 8918
Elizabeth Dunk – Junior Press Officer [email protected] / 020 7957 8986
About the BFI The BFI is the UK’s lead organisation for film, television and the moving image. It is a cultural charity that: Curates and presents the greatest international public programme of World Cinema for audiences; in cinemas, at festivals and online Cares for the BFI National Archive – the most significant film and television archive in the world Actively seeks out and supports the next generation of filmmakers Works with Government and industry to make the UK the most creatively exciting and prosperous place to make film internationally
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